


Into the Dark

by xSparklingRavenx



Category: Final Fantasy Type-0
Genre: Gen, Machina's weird 'What If' ending characterisation, Nightmares, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-17
Updated: 2014-09-17
Packaged: 2018-02-17 18:41:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2319494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xSparklingRavenx/pseuds/xSparklingRavenx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I dreamt you died." Machina says without thinking, his voice not much more than a whisper.</p>
<p>Set in the ‘What If’ ending. Past cycles still haunt them, even if they don’t realise what they are. Spoilers abound.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Into the Dark

**Author's Note:**

> I wake up this morning and find out WE HAVE A RELEASE DATE and a new Ace render. I'd been writing this all week anyway so obviously I decided I had to finish it TODAY to celebrate this wondrous occasion.
> 
> ...I had no idea how to characterise Machina because his personality in 'What If' conflicts his personality in game so if it's strange I'm sorry! I hope you enjoy it regardless! Thanks to Maya who puts up with my stupid mistakes and beta'd for me!

It's past midnight when Machina finds himself in the gardens, stars blinking overhead and a cool summer breeze at his side, teasing his mantle. The silence out here is different to that of the boy's dorm, which is actually less silence and more Nine snoring. It's nice here. He can actually think.

Not that there's a whole lot to think about, Machina decides as he sits on the grass. He crosses his legs for a moment, and then uncrosses them again to lie flat on his back instead. What is there to dwell on? Grades and how to keep them up, Rem and her smile when she drags him here there and everywhere, stealing Ace's glasses when he isn't looking and only giving them back when he agrees to ditch studying and go with him. The important things in life.

The nightmares too. There's a reason he's out here and it's not because he wants some silence so he can think about grades or Rem or to formulate more ways to get Ace to hang out with him. He's out here because sleeping as of late only leads to the same dream. Flashes. The cold, claustrophobic feeling of being trapped somewhere with only Rem at his side - in his arms? Bursting into a classroom to find all of his friends huddled and unmoving. Rem's gasp. Ace sitting atop the pile of students clasping hands like a throne, pale hair moving softly with invisible wind while his paler face is still and dead. They're all dead. His classmates are gone and he can't even tell them he's sorry.

Sorry for what? He doesn't know. The dreams haven't stopped and he's exhausted. His already bad grades are slipping and it's difficult to look at Ace day in when day out he has to contend with his battered, broken body. He's not as close with the other class members so it's easier to hide his discomfort with them, but keeping up the facade with Ace and Rem is so much harder.

He thinks about telling Izana, but then he'd just worry and he'd have his brother trailing after him forevermore inquiring about his wellbeing. Rem would be comforting, probably, but telling her would only lead to the same issue that he'd have with Izana. Telling Ace would lead to a mini lecture on how it's "just a dream" and how it "can't hurt him." And Ace would be right. It _is_ just a dream. Except it's so lifelike and hard hitting that it could almost be _real-_

A sound behind him like someone gasping brings him out of his thoughts. Machina sits up quickly and turns around to find Ace stumbling and trying to regain his balance. He's fully dressed in his uniform, and clearly, from the way he's moving, he'd been _trying_ to be inconspicuous.

Machina sighs, shaking his head. "You shouldn't be out here, Ace."

Ace looks towards him with wide eyes at having been caught. His face looks smaller without his glasses. "Why not?"

Machina pauses. "It's...dark out." he says lamely, cringing as soon as the words leave his mouth.

"I'm not afraid of the dark, Machina." Ace counters solemnly, making the rest of his way over. "So...why are _you_ out here?"

"I could ask you the same. Did you just trip?"

Ace's embarrassed flush is illuminated by the moon's glow. "I was trying to be quiet. I didn't want to startle you but it's, ah, it's kind of hard to see." he's gestures vaguely, and then is quiet while he dithers on the spot before finally deciding to sit down next to him.  "You, uh, dodged my question."

"You didn't answer mine either."

"I _did._ What else did you think I was just talking about?"

"Yeah, you told me about you tripping over 'cause you've got eyesight like a bat. Not about why you're here."

"I asked you first." Ace huffs like a spoiled child. It's easy to forget that side of him when he's too busy acting mature in front of the other boys. "I just heard you get up again, and you _keep_ waking me up when you do this so I thought I'd finally come out and see what you were up to."

'Again'. So Ace _knew_ what he'd been up to? "For someone who can't see you managed to get dressed well enough without waking anyone."

"Eight woke up, actually. I told him I was going to the toilet."

"Long toilet break." Machina muses. Ace rolls his eyes. "He actually bought that though? Who gets dressed in the middle of the night to go to the _toilet?"_

"He's been hanging around with Jack for so long that I think it's reduced his IQ." Machina laughs, and Ace's lips quirk up at his own dig. "Your turn. Why are you out here?"

Machina brings his knees up and rests his arms on them. "It's not important. You probably don't want to know."

Ace tilts his head, endearingly curious. "That only makes it sound serious, you know. Izana does the same thing. He'll tell me something isn't serious and then I find him moping about with the chocobos because something isn't working out with Emina-sensei."

"Uh, my thing isn't really the same as Izana's relationship problems." Machina says, glancing up at the sky. "It's not really a problem at all."

"Liar." Ace says simply. "I'm not stupid. You've got dark circles under your eyes and you gave up the first time I told you no yesterday when you asked me to go chocobo riding with you."

"It was _chocobo riding._ " Machina protests. "You _love_ chocobo riding. If you didn't say yes the first time, clearly you were ultra busy."

Ace narrows his eyes in what is actually more likely a squint. "I'm ultra busy every time. I just agree to go with you because you don't leave me alone if I ignore you and I can't get work done when you're badgering me anyway regardless."

"That's kind of offensive, Ace." Machina says in a tone of mock offence. "Now I know you're just appeasing me!"

Ace doesn't get flustered trying to deny it. He doesn't even smile at Machina's teasing. "Come on, Machina, you know I don't believe it's nothing. You never give up normally, and there's those shadows under your eyes too...you're not sleeping, are you? You come out here every night and I don't understand why. I asked Rem but even _she_ doesn't know what's wrong."

Machina is silent for a moment, before lying back down again. "It's not something that I can explain, Ace. Sorry, I guess."

How could he even put it into words? He knows it's just a dream but the _fear_ is deep in his chest and it hurts. He shuts his eyes against the harsh light of the moon, and hears Ace take a breath beside him.

"I dreamt you died." he says without thinking, his voice not much more than a whisper.

He feels Ace stiffen beside him. "A nightmare?" he asks.

"Yeah," Machina confirms, opening his eyes to look back at him. "Not just you. Everyone. It sounds stupid saying it out loud but it just _keeps coming back._ Hah. Sorry I said anything, I _feel_ stupid now."

It's quiet for a moment, the silence now more disconcerting than comforting, and then Ace says, "I hear a song, sometimes. In my dreams, that is."

"A song?" Machina repeats. "Are you having me on?"

"No, no!" Ace shakes his head. "Nothing like that. It's like...I don't know why, but whenever I hear it I wake up feeling like...like I've lost something? Like I'm sad? I don't know. Do you wake up feeling that way?"

"I dunno." Machina shrugs. "I feel hollow, I think. Like, there's something I wanted to tell you but I didn't get the chance."

Ace frowns. "What did you want to say?"

"I think...I think I wanted to tell you I was sorry." the words feel heavy in his mouth. He wishes he understood why.

"Sorry?" Ace shifts, looking even more perplexed than before. "For what?"

"Hah, I wish I knew." But does he really? There's a reason the words are heavy and it's not because they're innocent. "You said you dreamed of a song, right? Go on, sing it."

"What?" Ace glances away, turning his head. "No."

"Oh go on. You can't be any worse than _I'd_ be. Or King. I don't know why that guy joined up to music club when he ditches practice and can't sing in tune to save his life."

"I guess you're right." Ace mutters, and then he breathes in and while he's a little shaky, it doesn't sound awful at all. It's solemn, kind of haunting, and just when Machina is getting into it - he cuts off.

"...Where's the rest?" he asks, leaning up on his elbows.

"I don't know anymore." Ace says flippantly. "I only ever hear up to that bit. I don't think the song actually exists. Who knows."

"Write the rest of it then," Machina suggests. "You're good with words, right?"

"I don't know if I want to. Like I said, it's not a song that makes me feel happy..." Ace trails off with a sigh. "We should go back in and go to bed, Machina. I know you don't want to, but you have to sleep sometime, right?"

"Don't feel like moving." Machina says. The thought of his bed is tempting, especially when there are lessons to be had in the morning, but still... "Think we'll get in trouble if we stay here all night?"

"It _is_ irresponsible." Ace muses, but then he gives up and pulls his cape off, rolling it into a ball and using it as a pillow when he lies down. "But it'd also be irresponsible to leave you out here alone."

"Always a stickler for the rules. Except when I'm around."

"Only because you don't _let_ me follow rules when you're around."

"It's not healthy to just abide by what people of authority tell you."

"Go to sleep, Machina," Ace says exasperatedly.

"Only if you sing a lullaby."

" _Machina!"_

"Alright, alright, I'm shutting my eyes. Happy?"

They both fall silent. Machina listens to Ace's breathing for a while because it's all there is to hear in the silence of the gardens. Slowly it evens out and deepens. It's nothing like the state he finds him in his frayed memories of that dream.

When Machina opens his eyes again, the sun has risen and Rem is standing over him with a beaming smile. "Sleep well, Machina?" she asks with a grin. "Were you out here all night or something? That can't have been comfortable!

"You'd be surprised," he says, accepting her hand when she gives it to him to help him up. Grass sticks to him, and Rem giggles as she brushes it off.

Ace shifts at the noise, and then buries his head in his arms. "Keep it down."

"Sorry, Ace, but it's time to get up. You're late! Kurasame-sensei sent me to look for you!"

And doesn't _that_ motivate him, Machina thinks with amusement as Ace scrambles up with wide eyes. Rem laughs some more, and then takes him by the hand, leaving Machina to catch up.

He feels lighter, well rested, and sighs with relief. He didn't have the dream this time.


End file.
